E-Paper
DMK functionary gets 3-yr jail for Guv remarks
A Chennai court sentenced DMK speaker Shivaji Krishnamurthy to three years in prison for derogatory comments about Tamil Nadu's governor and BJP leader.
A Chennai court has found Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) functionary and speaker Shivaji Krishnamurthy guilty of derogatory comments on a public stage against Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Khushbu Sundar, those aware of the matter said.
On February 12, P Revathi, the 10th metropolitan magistrate of Chennai was sentenced the DMK speaker to three years imprisonment and fined ₹20,000 for his comments made in 2023. The DMK leader made the statements in June 2023, in the aftermath of the Governor walking out of the assembly in January of the same year without reading his customary speech. Using expletives and derogatory remarks, he criticised the governor for omitting certain words from the government-approved speech. Krishnamurthy had said if he can’t read a speech with Ambedkar’s name, he should go to Kashmir, where he would be gunned down by extremists.
Krishnamurthy was booked by the Kodungaiyur police in Chennai under sections including 294 (b) (uttering obscenity), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace). He was arrested but let out after 36 days.
After examining the video submissions, the court said that it is clear that the accused has made objectionable speech on a public platform that would disturb public order and create enmity between groups.
“If you re-wind and see the way they talk is atrocious. That is the model of DMK,” said BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan. The DMK did not respond to the development. “The party will abide by the court’s ruling and the leadership will take a decision on him,” said a DMK leader under the condition of anonymity.
Krishnamurthy is known for making derogatory statements and had previously attacked All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami, and BJP’s former state president K Annamalai, besides Ravi and Sundar. The DMK suspended him from the party in 2023, following an outrage over the incident, but he was inducted again later.
